Chewing gum



Patented Mar. 30, 1948 2,438,551 CHEWING GUM Edward P. Fenimore, Drexel Hill, Pa., assignor to Bowman Gum, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania No Drawinx.

Application May 13, 1940, rial No. 334,903

9 Claims. (01. 99-135) This invention relates to the production of chewing gum, and more particularly to a composition suitable for use as a chewing gum base.

This application is in part a continuation of my application Serial No. 285,135, filed July 18, 1939, now abandoned.

Chewing gum base adapted to be mixed with sugar and flavoring material for the production of chewing gum generally comprises a mixture of materials constituting, respectively, rubber, fat or wax, resinous and filler constituents. Of these various constituents, the resinous one is generally highly determinative of the properties of the final gum, and to a large extent the chewing characteristics of the gum and its permanence are largely dependent upon inous content.

It has been proposed heretofore to use the glyceryl ester of rosin, generally known as ester gum, as an ingredient in chewing gum base. This material is generally objectionable in that it is characterized by a woody taste and lack of permanence because of its great tendency toward absorption of oxygen. It has been proposed to overcome the objectionable odor and taste by protracted esteriflcation of rosin, blowing steam through the product at a temperature about 150 C. and finally neutralization of the last traces of acidity by treatment with such alkaline earths as calcium or magnesium carbonates. However, these treatments do not eliminate the second objectionable characteristic, and it 'is known that the relatively short life of chewing gum made from ester gum is principally du to the absorption of oxygen by its ester gum constituent In accordance with the present invention, I have discovered that the foregoing objections to ester gum are avoided and improved chewing gum bases are obtained by utilizing, either as a sole or substantial constituent of the resin part of the chewing gum base, a stabilized ester gum,

The stabilization referred to herein comprises hydrogenation accomplished either by the addition of hydrogen as such or by heat treatment, in known fashion, of rosin. In one alternative practice, the stabilized ester gum may be formed using as a starting point gum rosin, wood rosin or a more orless purified abietic acid. Hydrogenation may be effected in conventional fashion before esterification, or, alternatively, the ester gum may be first formed and then hydrogenated; It will be understood that the products of either of such processes are to be considered as falling within the designation of a hydrogenated ester.

the nature of the resarises from the fact Alternatively, the stabilization may be effected by the hydrogenation which occurs upon heat treatment of rosin. By such treatment in known fashion there apparently occurs hydrogenation of some portion of the rosin constituents with dehydrogenation of others. The result, just as in the case of the hydrogenation of rosin, is a stabilization against oxygen absorption and decrease of the odor and taste of esters formed therefrom.

The stabilized esters provided either by external hydrogenation as indicated above, or by internal hydrogenation resulting from heat treatment, are preferably either glyceryl or ethylene glycol esters. While the glyceryl ester is'less expensive and is preferred, the ethylene glycol ester may be used as the equivalent. Both of these polyhydrlc alcoholic esters have the properties desirable for use in the base described below.

' The hydrogenation effected in any of the fashions indicated may be completed to a greater or less extent, depending upon the degree of stabilization which is desired.

It will be understood that where stabilization is referred to in this specification, there is meant the stabilization either by hydrogenation of the rosin or abletic acid, or of the ester by the use of hydrogen, or the heat treatment of rosin before esterification.

Specifically, the stabilization of ester gum renders it substantially odorless and tasteless when cold and slightly odorous, but pleasantly so. when warmed to the temperature of the mouth. The stabilized ester gum is no longer affected to any appreciable extent by oxygen, and the ester gum and the base formed thereof are permanent in their characteristics. The stabilized ester gum is soluble in suitable softening oils and has physical properties making it especially suitable for use in chewing gum.

A further advantage of the stabilized ester gum that stabilization will convert ordinary ester gum to a substantially colorless condition, thus permitting the production of delicate pastel shades in the finished product not ordinarily obtainable by the use of chewing gum bases which are dark in color, as are those produced by the use of ester gum.

Another important advantage arises from the fact that, in addition to lack of odor and taste. the stabilization of ester gum yields a product of. sufficiently low melting point that it is unneccessary to temper the resin with mineral oil, as

is the case when coumarone-indene resins are employed. The use of mineral oil for this pur- 3 boss has been shown definitely to have an undesirabl effect on the life of the gum.

Wh n a stabilized rosin ester is used there is some tendency towards tackiness inthe finished gum. This may be prevented by the addition of ethyl cellulose.

An oil or wax is also generally included as a constituent of the sum baseand in accordance with the present invention, this oily or wax constituent is improved by substitution, for wax alone or for hydrogenated oil used alone or in combination with wax, or a saturated slyceryl ester such as glyceryl stearate, glyceryl laurate, or slyceryl palmitate, either alone or in combination with a wax such as candelilla wax.

Essentially, the chewing gum base prepared in accordance with the present invention comprises a rubberconstituent, a resin including the stabilized ester gum, and a mixture or one or more oils, fate or waxes, together with conventionalflller.

The rubber constituent of the base may be Para rubber, rubber latex (unvulcanized or vulcanized to a slight extent), or any suitable rubbery material, such as jelutong, gutta siak, or the like. There may also be used rubber substitutes or synthetic'rubbers such as, for example, lsobutylene polymers or vulcanized linseed oil (known as factis). It is sometimes deslrableto use a mixture oi vulcanized or unvulcanized latex and mill-rolled rubber vulcanized to some degree.

The resin constituent of the base may comprise solely the stabilized ester gum or the stabilized ester gum in admixture with other suit-.

able resins of types conventionally used, which are sufliciently free of odor and taste to be applied i'or this purpose. A material such as ethyl cellulose may be present to reduce tackiness.

The plasticizing agent may be any one or a mixture of oils, fats and waxes commonly used and well known to those skilled in the art, for example, parailin wax, Japan or candelilla wax, or hydrogenated oil may be used. Better than hydrogenated oil is a mixture oi candelilla wax with synthetic glyceryl tristearate.

As an example of a base prepared in accordance with the invention, there may be specifically cited a base comprising the following constituents:

Per cent Latex (60% rubber solids) 16 Candelilla wax Hydrogenated ester gum 56 Mineral filler 18 A still better base has the following composition:

' Per cent Latex (60% latex) 18 Hydrogenated rosin ester--. 44 Paracoumarone resin 7.5 Candelilla wax 6 Glyceryl tristearate 2.5 Ethyl cellulose 2 Calcium carbonate 20 depending-upon the properties of the gum which are desired. The rubber constituent, for examsuch as any other glyceryl stearate. laurate or palmitate, the candelilia wax may be present in amounts from 2 to 10%, while the glyceryl ester may be present in amounts from 2 to 20%. Oi!

course, it is possible to omit the glyceryl ester or Y to use the glyceryl ester without admixture with wax, but the best properties appear to result from the use or mixtures as Just indicated, the

total of the two vary ng from 7 to 50%.

It stabilized ester sum is used alone as the resinous constituent, the percentage may vary from about 80 to 60%. It used in combination with another resin such as paracourmarone resin (so-called coumarone, but actually usually a mixture oi para-coumarone and para-indene resins), the total resinous constituent may vary from less than to about 70%. When a stabilized rosin ester is used, the tendency toward tackiness may be reduced by adding from 0.5 to 5% of ethyl cellulose or another alkyl cellulose. In various compositions. however. the tackiness may be reduced to a satisfactory extent without the addition or a material such as ethyl cellulose.

It the base is to be used for the making or the usual stick gum, the percentage of mineral filler may be quite low, whereas in the case of base for bubble gum, an amount of filler in excess of 10% is generally desirable. Hence, the tiller may vary from a'boutO to 30%.

The use of pure glyceryl esters, such, for example, as synthetic glyceryl tristearate, improves .65 The above percentages may vary considerably, v

ple, in the form of latex containing about 40% of water, may constitute from 5 to 20% of the .base. The total wax constituent may vary from about '7 to 50%, depending upon the nature of the constituent used. For example, if candelilla the nature or the gum as compared with the mixtures of slyceryl esters of unknown composition generally designated as hydrogenated oils.

"Considerable variation in the properties of the gum prepared from a base are obtained if vulcanization to some degree of the rubbery constituent is secured. Unvulcanized latex may be used, but improvement results with a tendency toward a somewhat harder and tougher gum ii a proportion 01 vulcanized rubber is included.

A partially vulcanized latex may be used, for example, or unvulcanized latex, or even partially vulcanized latex may be mixed with a proportion, for example up to 10%, or moderately v'ulcanized mill-rolled rubber. The vulcanization may be effected in the mill. or may be completed in the mixing of the constituents to form the base. To the extent that the percentage of vulcanization is increased, more glyceryl stearate or more hydrogenated rosin ester may be included to maintain a desirable softness.

A typical chewing gum made by the use of a base such as that indicated above may comprise constituents in the following proportions:

Percent Gum base 8 to 28 Corn and cane sugar 55 to Glucose and/or invert sugar 12 to 20 Flavoring oil a A to 1 The improved type or base is pale in color, sub.- stantially odorless and tasteless until warmed, when the slight odor and taste then appearing are quite pleasant, and completely-stable to oxidation, with theresult that gum incorporating .the improved base does not lose its desirable characteristics upon standing and, furthermore, does not lose its characteristics when subjected to I drogenated glyceryl rosin ester and an alkyl cellulose.

3. A chewing gum material comprising ethyl cellulose and a gum selected from the group consisting of resins, rubbers, and chicle.

4. A chewing gum material comprising av resin and ethyl cellulose. I i

5. A chewing gum material comprising a rubber and ethyl cellulose.

6. A chewing gum material comprising a rubber, a resin and ethyl cellulose.

7. A chewing gum material comprising a resin which normally imparts an objectionable tackiness to the base, and ethyl cellulose in an amount suflicient to substantially reduce the tackiness imparted by the resin.

8. A chewing gum material comprising a resin which normally imparts an objectionable tackiness to the base, and ethyl cellulose in an amount such as to yield a weight ratio of said resin to ethyl cellulose ranging from about 1 to 10 up to about 100 to 1.

. 6 9. A chewing gum material comprising ethyl cellulose, a rubber, and a modifying constituent selected from the group consisting of waxy ma.- terials, oily softening agents, and plasticizers for ethyl cellulose.

' WWARD P. FENDVIORE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

